Für das Vaterland

Für das Vaterland is a short story writen by Gloryman3. It focuses on a group of German soldiers who fight the Soviet Union during the early days of the war in 1941 all the way to 1943 and a final mission in 1945.

Contents

Characters

Friedrich, born and raised in Dresden in 1894, is the commander of a unit in the Army Group North that fought during the early days of Operation Barbarossa. Von Erzensberger is a determined man and precausive commander, always seeking for the greater good of his squadmates. Erzensberger also fought during World War I in the 11th Bavarian Infantry Division, he personally met Hitler and saved his life once in 1915 where Hitler promised to return the favour whenever he needed one. Erzensberger enlisted in the Imperial German Army in 1915, after the war, he left his military career and lived in the poverty after the overly unfair Treaty of Versailles. In 1938 he enlists in the Wehrmacht and is sent to occupy Denmark in 1940.

Bachmeier, born in Munich, Bavaria in 1917, he is a skilled marksman and trained soldier from the Army Group North, under the command of Friedrich von Erzensberger. As he was raised during the times of the inflation, he developed certain resentment against the English, French and Russians, who were responsible for the downfall of Germany. He first enlisted in 1939 during the outbreak of the war and in 1940 he was deployed in Norway to fight the British forces trying to liberate Norway. Bachmeier is a professional marksman and prefers his rifle, a Gewehr 41 made by Walther more than any other rifle in the German lines.

Graf Hartwig Emil Freiherr Kluge is a German general, commander of a regiment in the Army Group North.

Horst Krauß (Infantry)

Andreas Becker (Tank commander)

Oskar Weinmann (Infantry)

Joseph Eckmund (Infantry)

Klaus Lorenz (Tank gunner)

Heinrich Reinhardt (Infantry)

Erwin Hartmann (Infantry)

Rudolf Bergmann (Infantry)

Jorg Müller (Infantry)

Werner Bosch (Inantry)

Gaston Fleischer-Baum (Children's Resistance)

Alexander Bock (Children's Resistance)

Dirk Schwartz (Children's Resistance)

Georg Lahm (Children's Resistance)

Wilhelm Biermann (Children's Resistance)

Story

Chapter 1

June 23rd, 1941

Northern Belarus, USSR

Bachmeier's unit advanced through the thick fog in the forests of Northern Belarus, the invasion of Poland and the USSR had been successful for the Germans. "Gentlemen, our tanks have spotted a Soviet platoon just metres ahead from us. Bachmeier, Weinmann, you two will take the left flank, you'll fire when ordered" said Hptm. Friedrich von Erzensberger, the commander of Bachmeier's unit. "Ja Hauptmann, we're on it right now" said Bachmeier.

Bachmeier and Weinmann took their respective positions and gripped their rifles. "Der Russischer are on visual range, do not fire until ordered" said Bachmeier to Weinmann. "Verstanden" said Oskar. "Fire" said Hptm. Erzensberger, Mickael gripped his Gewehr 41 and fired one shot, he killed one Soviet soldier, it was definitely not Bachmeier's first time killing a man, he had killed more than 10 men in Norway back in 1940. "Oskar, fire the Maschinengewehr" ordered Erzensberger. "Firing" Oskar fired the MG34, he cut down the incoming Soviet charge to the German tanks. "Sowjetischer infanterie is cut down!". Mickael fired his G41 at a Soviet soldier and fell to the ground, just after shooting him a Soviet dog jumped at Mickael, he started to bite but the dog was shot by Oskar with his Luger. "Thanks, Oskar" Weinmann helped Mickael back up and resumed the fight. "Hauptmann Erzensberger, I'll try to get the Soviet bunker up in the hill" said a voice from the tank. "You're cleared to do so, Andreas" Andreas Becker, the 41-year old tank commander native from Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Becker got back in the tank controls and drove the tank to the East, where the tank gunner, Klaus Lorenz, aimed the tank and fired it. "Good effect on der bunker, Soviets retreating" said Lorenz. Lorenz was born in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westfalia,
Klaus was a skilled gunner and mechanic despite his young age, being only 19.

"Everyone, let's keep moving, der Sowjetischer are still over there!" said Erzensberger. Mickael and Oskar rode on Andreas' tank. Oskar wielded his MP40 and was checking if there was any suspicious movement in the treelines. "I don't like this forest" said Oskar. "Even though you wee raised in the Schwarzwald" said Mickael, referring to the Black Forest where Oskar lived. Then they saw three Soviet scouts. "Sowjetischer infanterie!" yelled a soldier, 28-year old Erwin Hartmann from Berlin, Hartmann raised his rifle, a Kar98k and fired three times, killing the three soldiers. Then, Soviet infantry swarmed the forest. "Scheiße, es ist ein hinterhalt" yelled Erzensberger, Erzensberger fired a steady burst of bullets at the incoming Soviets, Mickael, Oskar and Erwin got behind a fallen log and fired at the charging Soviets. "Geht's nicht an meinen Trupp heran!" said Mickael, with his Bavarian accent. Oskar deployed the MG34 and fired the whole load of 150 rounds, overheating the gun, Oskar cursed in German. "What would you expect you Dork?" said Erwin. Erwin fired his Kar98K at an officer. "I think I just hit an officer" said Erwin. "Nein, das ist nicht ein Russischer offizier" said Oskar, Erzensberger ran through the bullets of the Soviet soldiers to get to Bachmeier's. "Bachmeier, we have heavy Russian resistance up ahead, snipe their machine gunners before they set their guns, our tank column will take care of the rest, Verstanden?". "Verstanden". "Sehr gut" replied Friedrich. Bachmeier aimed his G41 and fired at a machine gunner, then he picked another one, shooting him three times. "Those are some nice shots, Mickael". The Soviets retreated... Or so it seemed, four Soviet T-34 tanks came from the North and South, knocking out a German tank. "Scheisse, das ist ein Russischer panzer, Angriff!" yelled Oskar. "We need cover to maneuver, someone use the Panzerfausts" said Andreas Becker. The 21-year old Rudolf 'Rudi' Bergmann from Bonn rushed to get some Panzerfausts from the crates in one of the vehicles. "Ich hab eine Panzerfaust" he said, he aimed at one of the tanks and fired, the tank was knocked out, just in time. Becker was able to fire at the tanks and succeeded in doing so. "Tank's been neutralized, and so are the rest of the enemies. Our orders are to stay here and not advance any further until the Luftwaffe arrives" said Erzensberger.

Chapter 2

June 25th, 1941

Minsk, Belarus, USSR

It was just minutes before the attack commenced, Erzensberger gave the last words before the attack "We wait for the Bf 109's to bomb the city, and that's when we come in". Two Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft bombed the city, a massive German force charged at the Russian defenses, unable to react. "I'm gonna settle a sniper nest in that scaffold; Oskar, with me" said Mickael. Both men climbed up the scaffold and prepared their weapons. "I see an enemy, in the café. Armed with a DP-28" said Oskar, Bachmeier fired his sniper rifle three times, killing the Soviet. "Another enemy, building with the Soviet banner, sniper", Bachmeier fired at the sniper, which turned out to be a decoy. "Scheisse, it's just a decoy" he yelled. Then, saw the reflection of a scope, he quickly turned around and fired. The sniper hid before he was shot. "Damn" he yelled. He saw the sniper again, this time he didn't miss, he shot him in the arm, but fired one last shot at his chest, killing him instantly.

The 29 year-old from Bavaria, Heinrich Reinhardt came out of a Horch 1A car, equipped with a flamethrower, leather gloves, a Stahlhelm, a GM30 gas mask and a military uniform that gave the intimidating appearance of the WWII German war Juggernaut; without all his gear he would simply be a tall, slender, blonde young man with a charismatic face. "Reinhardt, wait 'till the Soviets charge, that's when you come to action" said Erzensberger. "Yes sir" he said. The Soviets retreated, now forming an even larger charge. "Wait for them to charge, Reinhardt", then, a massive Soviet charge swarmed the streets of Minsk, Belarus. Reinhardt fired his flamethrower, dozens of Soviet troops screamed in agony as the flames burned them down. Reinhardt couldn't stand the expression of their faces and he tried to avoid watching the horrible scene. He fired one last shot before the can emptied, he ran away and dropped his flamethrower. "Nice job, Heinz" said Erzensberger, but he didn't talk, Heinz was still trying to wipe that memory from his mind.

The Germans kept moving through the streets, facing vast amounts of Russian forces. "Bachmeier, we need you to guide us to a safe zone to avoid contact with the Soviets". "I got you, Erzensberger. Oskar and I are relocating" said Bachmeier.

The German infantry awaited for their marksmen to relocate. "Hptm. Friedrich, we're in position" said Bachmeier, the Luftwaffe aircraft passed by and bombed the city again. Bachmeier picked an enemy, then a second one, he shot both of them and killed them with the same bullet. "Das ist 'Collateral Damage'!" yelled Oskar. More Soviet infantry approached, they eventually overran the building and encircled Oskar and Mickael.

"Oskar, it seems it's just you and me against the Rotte Armee" said Mickael. Oskar picked up his machine gun and fired it to clear a path for both men, Mickael fired his G41 "Die you scum sucking bastards!!" yelled Oskar, the two men reached the first floor and got outside, linking up with the rest of the German platoon. "Captain Erzensberger, that building over there is crammed with Red Army soldiers, we need to bring it down now!" said Bachmeier. "Yes. Rudolf, signal the Luftwaffe" said Erzensberger. "Gefreiter Rudolf Bergmann, Oberst Manfred von Müller, brauchen wir einen Luftangriff auf den Standort: nach der Bauen mit einem UdSSR fahne" (Corporal Rudolf Bergmann to Colonel Manfred von Müller, we need an airstrike on the following location: the building with the USSR banner). "Oberst Manfred von Müller, Gefreiter Rudolf Bergmann. Verstanden, Luftangriff im 3, 2, 1" the Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft fired their machine guns, the building nearly collapsed, just when a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 bombed the building, which collapsed and eliminated the Soviet infantry.

The Wehrmacht platoon was back in the camp in the outskirts of Minsk, the Germans have built a trench system that provided cover for the soldiers in case of an air raid. Mickael, Oskar, Rudolf, Erwin and Heinrich were in their bunk beds, each minding their own business, until Oskar said "You know, I don't really like how we re fighting this war against the Russians". "Well, no one does Weinmann, but the thing is, the Führer seems to have gone crazy and wants the execution of those who are not German" said Bachmeier. "Well, probably is but, why are we fighting if we don't want to?" said Oskar. "Well, at first it was all an invasion, but now we are defending our country, it's no longer about controlling territory, it's defending from the enemy" said Mickael. Well, most of us were dragged into this mess. Rudolf himself didn't actually enlist" said Heinrich. "Well, it can be. I just know that Hitler is messed up and seems he could not care less for us soldiers" said Oskar. "Lions under the command of pigs" said Erwin.

Chapter 3

July 7th, 1941

Smolensk, Russian SFSR, USSR

The German infantry was awaiting orders in their trenches, it was then when General Kluge stepped in. "Attention!" the soldiers stood up, "At ease everyone" he then said. "We have a double agent, this man has been working for us and the Soviets for a long time, way before the war started. The bad thing is, it is that he is also giving the battle plans for our attacks in Leningrad to the Soviets. I am sending you guys under the command of Captain Friedrich von Erzensberger to get this man 'Chesnokov' out of there and bring him here" said the General. "Yes, sir" replied everyone.

Everyone was ready for the attack, they boarded their halftracks and headed to thier objective, Chesnokov's hideout. "What do you think about Gen. Kluge, Mickael?" asked Rudolf. "General Hartwig Kluge, probably not the best general we had, but neither the worst. Of course it would be nicer if he was like Rommel or von Clausewitz, but that's impossible" Mickael replied. Cpt. Friedrich said "Look, it's Chesnokov's hideout, everyone get out".

Mickael aimed his rifle, he waited 'till all the Soviets were together, he fired at a gas tank and it exploded, killing all Russian infsntry. "Scheiße, we see a Soviet DShk, mounted up on that catwalk" said Erzensberger, Rudolf rushed through the battlefield with his Kar98 and dived on a trench. The DShK gunner was about to fire at the Germans further down, but Rudolf shot him before he could do something, "There's enemy tanks approaching!" he yelled, Rudi tried to get back with his platoon.

Heinrich rushed to get something to get the tank down, he got in the Sd.Kfz. 251 and got a PzB.39 anti-tank rifle, Heinz loaded the rifle, he aimed it and pressed the trigger, the bullet hit the tank in its hull, and damaged the vehicle. "One more shot" he fired again, and the tank was disabled. "More tanks!" Erwin was carrying some T.N.T. and he used it to blow up the remaining tanks. "TNT Placed sir" he said. When he got back to his platoon he blew up the tanks. "Great job everyone, Chesnokov is for sure gonna love this" said Erzensberger. The Germans stood right outside of the Soviet outpost where Chesnokov was. The stampede of German soldiers rushed through the building, going up themstairs and down the stairs. "Mickael, Erwin, Rudolf, Heinrich, go check the furnace room, I'll be with you". When they reached the furnace room theymsaw Chesnokov. "Get up, you bastard, arms up in the air" said Erzensberger. "Get up Schweinhund" yelled Bachmeier. "You're coming with us", they brought Chesnokov out in handcuffs and tossed him into the halftrack.

"Gen. Kluge, we brought you this man Chesnokov" said Erzensberger. "Yes, of course". Chesnokov was sent to court-martial to determine his guilt, with the judge being Gen. Kluge. "The court is now in session. Are you Ivan Chesnokov?" asked the judge, Gen. Kluge. "OF COURSE I AM, DO I LOOK LIKE PUNY WESTERN CAPITALIST" he said. "Herr Chesnokov, there's no need to yell" said the Judge. The trial went on for hours, the Judge had determined him as guilty. "The jury finds the defendant" "Guilty", "Alright, the defendant will be sentenced to death by firing squad tomorrow at 8:30 A.M."

Chapter 4

July 8th, 1941

German HQ in Smolensk

7 men wielded their rifles in the improvised prison cellar, awaiting orders to shoot. "Ready your weapons" said the German Lieutenant "Aim", "Fire!" they raised their weapons and shot Ivan Chesnokov in the chest, his lifeless body hit the cold concrete floor, Bachmeier, who was on the firing squad, stepped forward to confirm the victim's death. "He's dead alright" said Mickael, it was then when the air raid alarm rang in every corner of the German HQ. "Scheiße, it's those pesky communists!" said one of the firing squad members, Jorg Mueller, native from Frankfurt am Main, Hesse in Western Germany. Among the rest of the firing squad was Horst Krauss, a young, fresh-faced Thuringian from Gera, Joseph Eckmund, the 29 year-old soldier from Hamburg and Werner Bosch, the tall and robust Bavarian from Nuremberg.

"Everyone follow me, let's push those Russians out" said Mickael, the firing squad went upstairs and encountered a Soviet infantry in the stairs, "Angriff!", they were killed and the German fireteam was able to go up. "Cpt. Erzensberger, what's the situation?" asked Bachmeier. "We got feindliche flugzeugen, Soviet Shturmoviks" said Friedrich. "Mueller, you and I will place Schrapnellmines at the Russians' doorstep, Ivan is for sure gonna love this" said Mickael. "Jawohl mein Kommandant" replied Mueller. Both men used their Schrapnellmines (aka Bouncing Betties) and placed them on the doors, as Soviet infantry came, they were brought down by the German mines.

In the meantime, Oskar, Erwin, Heinrich and Rudolf were fighting the Soviet aircraft with MG34's. "Stirb!!" yelled Rudolf, firing the dual-mounted MG34 machine guns at the Sturmoviks, then the Germans saw flak fire in the air bring down the Ilyushin aircraft, it was Andreas and his mechanized units. "Fellow soldiers, this is Becker, our men will tear down their aircraft, you can keep repelling the Soviet infantry" Becker said. When they went downstairs to meet up with Erzensberger and company, a KV-2 Gigant tank shot the building, injuring the Germans inside, Becker immediately ordered a Panzer IV and a StuG III to confront the tank "Get the damn Schweinhund". The two armoured vehicles encircled the Russian tank, the Russian tank crew surrendered and got out of the tank. "Ahh, these Kommies have surrendered to the Germans" one of the StuG crew members got out, pulled out his Luger and trained it on the surrendering Soviets. A PaK 38 and a "Wespe' howitzer made the last shots to push the Soviets out. Once they retreated, the Germans could get a chance to rest.

Chapter 5

September 8th, 1941

Leningrad, Russian SFSR, USSR

"Ah sir, when are we finally gonna see some action? We've been sitting here for more than 3 months and still nothing" said Rudolf. "Oh but for God's sake Rudi, wasn't that enough?! We killed a spy, we defended our HQ, we burned down 20 angry Red Army soldiers with a flamethrower" replied Bachmeier. "Ja, I understand but, it's been months since we last saw combat" replied Rudi. "That's better you boxhead, I'd rather be here, slacking than see my fellow soldiers being tore down by machine gun fire!", but it was then when general Hartwig Kluge stepped in "Attention everyone!... At ease". "What's the matter, sir" asked one of the soldiers. "We're going over the top, we're invading the city of Leningrad. Ready up, you're going to battle". "Ja wohl, mein general!" said the crowd of soldiers.

The Russians were already expecting the Germans, Soviet snipers fired at the German platoons, 122mm guns fired at the German convoys, "This is a mess!", "We're not gonna make it alive" the cries of German infantry echoed across the city. "Oskar, Erwin, Rudolf, Heinrich, Joseph, Jorg, Horst, Werner. Follow me!" ordered Bachmeier. The Germans breached a rice distributing warehouse, they fought against the Russians inside the building, who were armed with heavy machine guns and sniper rifles. "How are we gonna make this?". "Just stop complaining, once and for all" said Mickael. Oskar set his MG34, the Soviets focused on killing the MG34 operator, "They're trying to kill Oskar, cover him" said Mickael, shooting his rifle in a crouched position. Mickael ordered Jorg to move up. "Ja wohl" he replied, Mueller set where he was ordered to and fired his Kar98k. "Sir, the Soviets have started to retreat" said Rudolf. "They are not retreating, they are regrouping" yelled Erwin back. "Hurry, kill them before they regroup". The German team fired an abandoned DShk mounted on a catwalk facing the East, where Soviet troops were retreating. To cover Soviets' withdrawal, a T-50 light tank defended the retreating troops; Andreas headed his Panzer III to counterattack the T-50. "Lorenz, you know what to do, now" said Andreas, Klaus Lorenz aimed the cannon of the tank and fired one shot, which immediately left the T-50 combat ineffective. "Thanks for the assistance, Becker" said Bachmeier.

"Keep moving towards the city" Erzensberger ordered. The German troops advanced through the streets of Leningrad, when a PTRS shot a German Panzer 38, damaging it severely. "Sowjetischer infanterie". "Vorsicht, sie haben eine Panzerbüchse" said Erzensberger. "Erwin, you and Werner will follow me; Mickael, Oskar, give us covering fire" said Friedrich. "Ja wohl" replied the soldiers. The captain, Erwin and Werner went into the building where the PTRS operator was, the three men fought Russian infantry inside the building. "Achtung, Sowjetischer granate" yelled Werner, he reached to get the grenade and threw it back to the Russians, but killed no one. "Eine Russischer soldat, bei die Türe" said Erwin. "It's him, the man with the PTRS!" said Erzensberger, who dired his MP40 at the Soviet, killing him. "Alles klar. We're good to go" said Werner. "Sicher", the three men got out of the building and continued their route. "Wenn wir hier fertig sind, dann wartet Moskau. Sehr gut meine Freunde" said Erzensberger, standing on top of a demolished tank.

When he woke up, he was in the same spot, he saw Soviet infantry slaughtering the survivors of his squad, he heard the agonizing cries for mercy of his comrades. Mickael decided it would be better to lie down and play dead, as the Soviet infantry would think he's dead. A Soviet soldier walked by him, Bachmeier's heart started to pump, he tried to stay as still as he could. The Soviet passed, he didn't notice Mickael alive. Just after the Russian platoon passed, he crawled through the dead bodies, some of them starting to be devoured by crows, others half-dead and struggling to stay alive; but then, Bachmeier heard the voice of a German, coming from his right side. "Shhh..." he said, before talking to Bachmeier "My comrade, I need your help". Bachmeier kept quiet. "Do as I say, and we can escape captivity" said the mysterious German. "Stay quiet, they can still hear us" said the mysterious man. The two crawled through the bodies, then they stood up. Bachmeier could examine his face, it was indeed the legendary Heinz Thorvald. "Here, take my rifle, I will find a weapon afterwards" he said. "Aim your rifle, But DON'T shoot yet. The arschloch in that building is Lieutenant General Hanyev, responsible for some of the most atrocious war crimes against German people. He is the one responsible for the murder of loved sons and fathers" said Thorvald "Today, we kill him. Today, after waiting long months to kill him, we will kill him" "Now, load your rifle, but wait for the aircraft to be directly ahead, the noise of the engines will drown the sounds of the shots".

Bachmeier aimed the Kar98k, equipped with a German Zeiss scope. "Alright, I see the aircraft, they will be directly ahead in a few minutes" said Bachmeier, then a squadron of Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers flew directly ahead of Mickael and Heinz. "Shoot, now!". Bachmeier shot one guard in the chest, killing him immediately, then he killed two soldiers with one bullet. "Collateral damage!". He then fired another bullet which hit a guard with a SVT-38 sniper rifle, one last shot was used against a guard who just arrived with a dog, Mickael reloaded, but the dog ran to Mickael's and almost bit him, but he quickly pulled out his P38K and shot the dog, killing it immediately. "Good work, my friend, you have proved your skills" said Heinz, Bachmeier gave back the rifle and saw his beloved G41 on the ground. "Das ist mein Gewehr, Heinz" said Bachmeier, flicking a speck of dust on the stock of the rifle. "Time to close in, quick, move, before they find out".

The German men reached a café dubbed 'Ukrayina Serdtse', where they then headed upstairs and were confronted by a sniper. "Feindliche Scharfschütze" the two men went to the top floor of the building to confront the sniper. "Enemy, 3rd floor" Bachmeier said. "Ja, I see him" Thorvald shot the sniper, only to reveal that the sniper had placed a decoy. "Alright, this time he isn't escaping" Heinz fired another shot, this time just flinching the enemy sniper. "Let me help you out with this one" Mickael stepped forward and opened fire, the sniper was no longer there. "Don't bother, he's no longer there" Heinz said to Mickael. "Fuck, let's get going".

The Germans went downstairs, but saw two Russian guards. "This won't be easy. Let's find a way around", the two German soldiers jumped out of the building and reached a factory. "Look, the savage Gen. Hanyev ordered the execution of a German citizen in Leningrad. He knows no difference, he doesn't care if his victim is innocent or guilty, he's a murderer" Thorvald saw the body and found in his pocket a picture of his family and German marks and Soviet rubles. "Poor soul" Heinz got back up, trying to contain his tears. "To snipe your enemy is just like hunting any other animal, you must know its habits and frequent places it visits to find your perfect moment... General Hanyev is always at HQ, ordering the torture and execution of German nationals" Heinz said to Mickael.

A SU-76 arrived with the support of Soviet infantry. "Run, they have spotted us!" the two men ran for hours until they were no longer chased by Soviets. "That was a stroke of luck", but then, three Red Army soldiers threw grenades at them, injuring them. One was carrying a flamethrower, and was ordered to use it on the Germans. But then, Oskar's unit arrived just in time to save the day. "Mickael, we thought you were dead" Oskar said to Mickael. "You thought, but he's quite alive" Heinz replied. Oskar gasped "It's Heinz Thorvald, the legendary sniper", Heinz replied "Yes, the real one". "Anyway, we're going to assault the Soviet HQ at the East. "Perfect, this move will allow us to get to Gen. Hanyev and kill him once and for all".

When the assault began, machine guns and armored cars expected the Germans at HQ, but they were destroyed by the Wehrmacht infantry at the battle, without inflicting heavy damage. Erzensberger called the German snipers Heinz and Mickael "Alright, we're in the HQ now". "Great, our men are already inside HQ, Hanyev will come out in any second". "Let's go, I know a perfect spot overlooking the HQ" said Heinz. The two men reached the sniper spot and set their rifles. "I see Hanyev is running, scheisse, he's not alone. You take out him, I take care of the guards". Heinz opemed fire with the Kar98 and killed 3 bodyguards. Mickael could not kill Hanyev because he was in thick cover. "That schweinhund is taking cover behind the tank" Bachmeier exclaimed. Heinz cursed in German and exclaimed "Don't worry, when he comes out, he'll be dead", when the genenral started running, he received three shots in the abdomen, which injured him badly. Heinz laughed and said "You are a true sniper, my friend, that was wunderbar", but then, the building started to collapse and they had to cut the celebration. "Run, these animals are trying to kill us". The two men ran, and found more Soviet infantry. "Leck meinen Hahn, mutterficker!" cursed Mickael, the two men ran upstairs and were forced to jump into the cold Baltic Sea which was overlooked by the building the snipers were in.

The snipers will pass the next two months in the German trenches, separated from combat.

Chapter 7

December 27th, 1941

Destroy Soviet artillery preventing the advance to Moscow

"The Russians have taken the upper hand in combat, and we need to stop this or we will be pushed out of Russia" Hartwig Kluge said. "Sir, with all due respect, we have no winter supplies, our men are dying and the Führer doesn't seem to care at all. What is the matter?" Bachmeier said. "The thing is, Bachmeier, that the Russians have brought their men from the Far East", "That still doesn't explain why we aren't getting our winter supplies". "Well, the Führer promised to bring us our supplies".

The Germans were now on board trucks to take them to Moscow. "Hopefully we don't die because of the cold or sink in this damn snow" said Bachmeier. When the trucks were at the gates of Moscow, Bachmeier's truck's engine had frozen. "Looks like we're on foot" Erzensberger said in a bad mood. "I think the phrase rhymes with 'clucking bell'" said Bachmeier. "C'mon, it isn't that bad" said Bosch. "You because you're standing 7 feet above the snow". After saying this a barrage of rockets impacted on the German unit. "Artillery, enemy BM-14 rockets are attacking us". Rudolf, Werner and Heinrich could see the rockets, and tried to inform the rest on their location "Those rockets are coming from the Northeast, sir. I can see them". "Great, now" said Erzensberger, he asked General Kluge to direct a 10.5cm leFH18 howitzer to attack the BM-14's. At that moment, the howitzer aimed at the Katyusha and fired.

"Those Katyusha have been neutralized" said Hartwig Kluge. "We still got Soviet infantry over us, can you assist?" Erzensberger said to Kluge. "Negative, the closest unit to you is a Luftwaffe squadron, the 'Minutenmänner'" Kluge replied. Friedrich asked "Can you bring them here?", to which Kluge responded "I'm calling them right now". Shortly after the Luftwaffe squadron of Ju 87 Stukas overflew the Germans and bombed the Russians, before being shot down by Soviet AA fire. "So that's why they call them 'Minutenmänner'" said Mickael. "They only last a minute in the air" said Eckmund.

After they defeated the Soviets at the gates of Moscow, they received a message from Kluge. "All units on the ground, retreat back to HQ". "Ja wohl, General Kluge" Erzensberger said, everyone boarded the trucks and directed back to base, but were halted by Soviet T-34's and KV-2's. "Scheisse, enemy tanks". The convoynwas engaged in a long fight. Becker directed his tank to a T-34 and opened fire, the T-34 exploded and its turret was blown up like a cork of champagne. The Germans escaped and reached HQ.

Chapter 7.5

April 7th, 1942

Stalingrad, Russian SFSR, USSR

"Finally we left that hellhole we called 'Siege of Leningrad'" said Bachmeier, to which Heinrich responded "I wouldn't be too happy, they say Stalingrad is twice as worse". "Possibly, but that cold winter was a pain in the arsch" Bachmeier replied, then Oskar arrived with a wooden crate, labelled 'Waffen' in it, when he opened it he was amazed by what was in there, it was a brand new MG42 General Purpose Machine Gun, "Do you know what is this?" asked Oskar. "It's a good ol' machine gun" said Rudolf. "Wrong, it's a brand new machine gun. But I never requested one" replied Oskar. Then, Joseph came with a message "Come see the new tanks we got outside, they're better than our old rusty ones from Czechoslovakia".

Once they went outside they saw the Tiger I tanks that just arrived, and a Hummel howitzer. "This is interesting" said Bachmeier, then, Klaus Lorenz gave him a paper bag, when he opened it, he saw a variable zoom scope and a Walther PPK pistol "Great, they thought of us marksmen for once". Erzensberger got a Browning Hi-Power, or Pistole 640 as it was designated in Germany.

Everyone got a new weapon of some sort, which made everyone really happy and boosted the infantry's morale. Some of them got letters from their relatives back in Germany, Horst read his letter from a cousin in New York, "Who's that letter from?" asked Jorg Mueller. Horst replied "He's my cousin David Horwitz".

Everyone was in a good mood and were happy to receive new war materiel and news from their family in their homeland.

Chapter 8

September 19th, 1942

Stalingrad, Russian SFSR, USSR

The 3-Ton Opel Blitz trucks moved through the streets of Stalingrad, when all of a sudden, the convoy is ambushed by Soviet 76mm guns. "Vorsicht!" yelled out Jorg. Bachmeier and Müller managed to jump out of the truck, where Soviet infantry assaulted them and almost took them prisoners, but were rescued by Oskar as he fired his MG42. The two men stood up and fired at the incoming enemies, "Oskar, get over here quick", he ran carrying his MG42 and ducked with Mickael and Jorg. "Andreas, we need assistance, fire at those buildings, they're heavily defended by Russians" said Erzensberger.

"On it" Andreas, replacing his Panzer III with a brand new Tiger tank ordered his tank gunner to fire a shell at the building "Klaus, get some fire on that building, pronto!", Lorenz fired the tank cannon, the shot hit the building and made the structure crumble. "Yeah, that did the trick" Andreas said.

The Germans kept fighting against Soviet forces in the streets of Stalingrad, Russian Sturmoviks and German Stukas would occasionally bomb one another, shortly after a squadron of Petlyakov bombers wrecked a tank column of the Germans, killing or injuring many. "Ficken!" cursed the Captain. At that same moment, a FlaK 88 from the German Army brought down one of the Petlyakov bombers. Which gave the German unit a chance to advance. "Now's our chamce, attack", "Get to the trainyard", "Charge!". A charge of German soldiers swarmed the trainyard and destroyed the trains, supplying war materiel to the Soviets. "Destroy those trains" Becker's tank fired at an escaping train, the train was unable to move any further. "Enemy T-34 tanks, find something to destroy them" Werner yelled. They all ran to find something to destroy the tanks. "I got some Panzerfausts" Erwin said. "There's a PTRD here" called out Horst. "I found a Panzerschreck" Werner yelled.

Werner fired his Panzerschreck, it hit a T-34 right in its engine, another T-34 was blown up by Erwin's Panzerfaust, Horst aimed the Soviet PTRD at a tank turret and shot it, damaging it badly. "That's it, T-34's disabled".

The fighting went on for other four hours, the Red Army started to get the upper hand in the battle. "It's too harsh, retreat" ordered Erzensberger, the Wehrmacht retreated and the Soviets had succeeded on holding the city.

Chapter 9

January 7th, 1943

Kill Dr. Heiter

"Why are we in Berlin again?" asked Oskar. "We're going to kill Dr. Heiter" said Bachmeier. "Who is he?" askes Werner. "He... Is a Nazi scientist, currently experimenting with concentration camp prisoners to develop 'zombie supersoldiers', he drugs them and puts them in test facilities with wild chemicals, we're going to the Wittenau Sanatorium, where he is currently working on the mental patients, who, according to him, are easier to transform into supersoldiers" Bachmeier replied. "How do you know this, or how do we know you aren't lying?" asked Erwin. "Leaked information, an American agent named 'Solar' provided information to his allies in the US, but I know because I know 'Solar'" replied Mickael, loading a M1879 Reichsrevolver.
"This is your weapons inventory: Gewehre 41 and 43, Walther PPK handguns with suppressors, PPSh-41 SMGs, shotguns and FG42 automatic rifles, one of you will be carrying the MG42. Oskar, you're the appointed man".

The German platoon was outside of the sanatorium in the middle of the forest. "Security detail, Schützstaffel are guarding the installation, no one should know our identity, each one of us has his own callsign, we'll split into teams, Eclipse 1 and Eclipse 11, alright?" Bachmeier said. "Verstanden" replied everyone.

Mickael sniped an SS guard in a watchtower "Enemy killed, get in". Eclipse 1 and Eclipse 11 breached into the sanatorium, where they were received by an SS patrol. "Ist die SS!" exclaimed Erwin. They kept on moving after killing the SS guards, "go upstairs" said Mickael, they went upstairs, to a hallway where SS officers were pulling out mental patients to send them to the test facility of Dr. Heiter. "Kill them". They opened fire at the SS officers and killed them, but a prisoner takes the dead officer's MP28 and started yelling "Ich bin nicht verrückt, Ich bin nicht verrückt!" before opening fire at the people in the room. "Shit, kill him, there's no option" Bachmeier ordered.

The German team then split up. "Eclipse 11, take the left wing of the building" ordered Bachmeier. "Ja wohl" replied Erwin. Eclipse 1 kept moving through the clinic and stumbled upon an SS elite unit. "Shit!" Bachmeier fired his PPSh at an MG42 operator. "He's killed, keep moving, Eclipse 11, any news on our HVI?" asked Bachmeier. "We haven't seen him yet".

The German teams finally met in the showers. "He's probably downstairs". They went downstairs to a small room with a dentist chair, Doctor Heiter and a man called Eduard were torturing a patient with a drill sitting in the dentist chair. "That's Heiter" whispered Jorg, everyone tried to avoid watching the grisly image of Heiter shoving a drill down a person's nose, the drill squirted a blueish substance into the victim's nose. "That's good, Dr. Heiter, he'll be zombified in just a matter of minutes. "Breach in" ordered Bachmeier, once they swarmed the Heiter and Eduard, the patients started to seize and speak nonsense. Eduard escaped before Heiter could, Heinrich shot Heiter right in the head with his shotgun, his head cracked open. They liberated the prisoner who fell to the ground and gripped to Joseph's leg, he started to tell them about how he should escape "Help me, please, I can't stay here, they will staple my head to a man's ass and kill me, they are going to mutilate me into little pieces..." before he could speak a word, he died and his eyes turned yellow, he started to regurgitate and growled. "Quick, shoot him!"

Oskar fired at the zombified victim's head and killed him, they escaped and reached the city of Berlin. "Man, that was scarier than the whole war itself".

Chapter 10

April 29th, 1945

Defend the Berlin, Germany

The city of Berlin was falling under the hands of the Soviets, Erzensberger and his men were among the last to defend the city, alongside with a Child Resistance group. The small squad was led by a 17 year old from Hamburg named Gaston Fleischer-Baum.

"Kid, aren't you too young to be fighting a war, kids like you should be doing something else" Kluge said to Gaston. "No, sir. This is Germany and I will always fight for my country, I'm going to stop at nothing to defend my country" replied Gaston. "I like your spirit, but I disagree, wars are fought by men, not schoolboys" replied Kluge. "I'm afraid that's a lie sir, most of the soldiers I've met aren't in their twenties yet" replied Gaston to Gen. Kluge.

Erzensberger and Gaston's teams fought the Russians just outside of the Brandenburg Gate. "Gaston, listen to me well, I'm going to need Alexander to man this machine gun while Sgt. Bachmeier and me plant these explosives on the front, you're going to need to feed his gun" ordered Oskar to Gaston. "Ja wohl" replied Gaston. Oskar and Mickael ran through No Man's Land, dodging enemy bullets, they placed the explosives and got back to the German lines. "Thanks for covering us, kids" said Bachmeier.

Meanwhile, three child resistance soldiers, Dirk, Georg and Wilhelm manned a 37mm cannon "Reload the cannon, we need more firepower on their lines" ordered Georg. "Yes, Georg. I am coming with more shells" replied Dirk. The Russians charged but were cut down by the German kids. A Panther tank arrived just in time to assist the children. "Danke, danke. We needed that assistance urgently" said Wilhelm, the Panther tank fired its gun at the Soviet lines, and all Red Army troops retreated. Both Dirk and Georg cheered "Well hoorah, we pushed them back, time to breathe".

"Regroup everyone" said Erzensberger to all German troops there. They all regrouped and waited to re-attack.

"This is the final push, we're going to do the final push" said Wilhelm, holding his ERMA EMP35 submachine gun. "I know, the very last push, this is how they say, 'it' replied Gaston. "Here to make the final push, I wish all of you good luck" said Dirk, to which Alex replied "Yes, we are going to fight for the last time before we either lose the war or launch a surprise attack to the Russians". "With a little luck we'll make it" Erwin said. "We are going to make it, don't worry" said Rudolf. "I, really, what can I say. I'm scared, the Russians have the upper hand, they've pushed into Berlin in a matter of days" Heinrich said. "So am I, this really is the end of the war, with hope we make it through" Joseph said, and Oskar replied "I wish we can make it through, I wish we could defeat the Russians, but that's just impossible". Horst said "I wish good luck to everyone, we can come out victorious with some faith". "This marks the end of the war, this means peace" Werner said, and Jorg replied "You could say so, good luck everyone". Georg said "I hope this brings peace, it's a cheap price to pay for eternal peace. Farewell evryone". "This is it, our men will order to attack in a few seconds... Good luck everyone" Mickael said. Erzensberger blew his whistle and the Germans charged.

Mickael, Oskar, Erwin, Joseph, Heinrich, Rudolf, Horst, Werner and Jorg ran towards the Russians, machine gun fire is heard by the German lines and a thick cloud of smoke covers the men's bodies, ending the stories of these brave men in a poignant way. At the end of the battle, all that is left is piles of rubble and an occasional scavenging bird looking for food.

Epilogue

"War is like disease, a uniquely damaging event. Today, May 6th, 1990 we celebrate 45 years after the defeat of the Nazis in Germany. I have always served Germany and will continue to do so, everyone now is mislead by the idea that us German soldiers were savage animals that wrecked through Europe seeking for blood, I can say that was wrong, but sadly, the victor is the one who writes history, and I can say that it was that vermin, the Nazis the ones who were responsible for the downfall of Germany in 1945. I remember in 1945, when I met men like Mickael, Oskar and the rest of the Wehrmacht infantry unit I looked forward to them. Brave men with golden hearts, who, despite killing dozens of men, knew that they had no choice, but to fight for their country that was slowly being sandwiched by two powerful armies. It is men like them who will be in our minds and in our hearts for their service, those, are the true heroes."